The Premier League has been lambasted for charging almost £2,000 for children to be mascots at their games.
The most expensive package has increased by 157 per cent since 2020, when clubs were previously criticised for neglecting low-income families.
While half of top-tier clubs now offer all mascot places for free, five clubs - Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Ipswich and West Ham - continue to charge substantial fees.
Forest's premium package, priced at £1,800 plus VAT for Category A matches, is now the most expensive in the league.
Scarlett MccGwire hit out at Premier League clubs for charging upwards of £1,500 for children to mascot at games
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Discussing the costing, commentator Scarlett MccGwire claimed the move is "exploitative" and "absolutely shocking".
MccGwire claimed: "This is absolutely shocking, actually, because you all see at the beginning of a Premier League game, possibly other games as well, that the captain comes out and holds the hand of of a small child, and maybe all of them have small children.
"And one assumed that these were kids who had come out of hospital and had a bad time or whatever. Now we find out that Premier League, they charge up to £1,800 - plus VAT, to do this. It is appalling and it's exploitative."
Hitting out at the difference in privilege this creates for football fans, she added: "It means basically that it's either the children of the rich or you really scrape together to do it. And these are very, very rich clubs, they could be kind."
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Some Premier League clubs are charging almost £2,000 for children to mascot at football games
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In agreement with MccGwire, commentator Candice Holdsworth claimed that although around half of the Premier League clubs do offer the opportunity for free, those that are charging are guilty of "extortion".
Holdsworth explained: "I think it's just creating the impression, at least from people I know about going to football matches and trying to get season tickets, it's all becoming prohibitively expensive.
"And that's sad for what was traditionally a very working class sport. I think about my grandfather, he was a Man City supporter from a young age growing up, and he could always go. Now for his grandchildren, never, never, never, never."
Some clubs argue the packages include hospitality and kit as part of the experience.
MccGwire told GB News that the move is 'appalling'
GB News
Clubs have defended their pricing policies, pointing to the additional benefits included in these packages.
Nottingham Forest said they provide "multiple free-of-charge mascot places for each home game" alongside their premium packages.
"All these go to deserving children and/or young participants from our Community Trust programmes," the club stated.
Brighton similarly highlighted that they offer two free mascot spaces for every home game and all away games.
The club added that their paid packages, which cost up to £415, were introduced because "we were regularly asked for this service" and "represent value for money and give children an unforgettable experience."
